Life in Slytherin
by PhoebeGilmore
Summary: Albus' worst nightmare comes true, he gets sorted into Slytherin. How will the young Potter deal with this? Warning: Dumbledore is no longer the only Gay wizard. AsS.
1. prologue

**Life in Slytherin**

**AN: **This is the proplogue to my newest story. It's about Albus and Scorpius. I haven't written anything Harry Potter related for months, so I have to get back into that world. Please review.

Prologue

Albus walked nervously through the Great Hall. The other first years stared at the ceiling in awe, it was nothing new to him. He had seen it every year when he accompanied his parents to the memorial service of the war. So, while the others were distracted by the enchanted ceiling Albus had time to worry about the upcoming sorting. He still heard his brother's words.

"_You'd better be in Gryffindor. I know dad said he wouldn't mind if you're in Slytherin, but he really will." James was standing in the compartment Rose and Albus shared._

"_James, don't be such a tease. Of course Albus is going to be in Gryffindor. Our entire family was in there." Rose always defended Albus when it came to the upcoming sorting. She knew how nervous Albus was. And James could be so annoying._

"_I heard there were these twins and they got sorted into different houses when our parents went to Hogwarts. So I wouldn't be too sure of that Rose. Besides, I have this feeling Albus may just be the black sheep in the family. Who knows, maybe green's just your color." James left the compartment with a grin from ear to ear before Rose could throw something at him._

"_Don't worry Al, I'm sure you'll be in Gryffindor. Don't let James get to you."_

Albus was shook out of his flashback when the Hall exploded in applause for the old hat. A rather young professor, whose name Albus didn't remember, held a scroll. He read the first name on the list.

"Andrews, Bridget."

A girl with brown hair that barely reached her shoulders walked forward. The professor placed the hat on her head. "Slytherin!" The hat yelled after half a minute. The table under the green banners burst out in applause. The girl quickly made her way to the noise and set down.

Albus didn't pay attention to the next couple of names. Only when a familiar name came up did he listen again.

"Malfoy, Scorpius."

A blonde boy walked forward, his head hung low. It was the boy his uncle Ron had warned him about. They were not to be friends, according to him.

"Gryffindor!" The hat said after a couple of minutes. The Hall was silent. It was the first name that didn't receive an applause. Scorpius' pale face had a slight red tint to it as the boy walked to the silent table that housed the Gryffindors.

Whispered comments could be heard. All of them including Malfoy and Slytherin. Scorpius was the first of the Malfoys to be sorted into Gryffindor.

The professor waved his wand and a loud crack could be heard throughout the Hall. Everyone became silent once again and the sorting continued. Everything went the normal way again, someone would get sorted and said house would burst into cheers. It wasn't until Albus' name was called that the Hall was silent again.

"Potter, Albus."

"Good luck." Rose whispered into his ear before he made his way toward the old hat.

"Potter, heh? Where to put you?" The hat said. If Albus hadn't been warned that the hat could speak he probably would've fallen off his seat. "You're smart, no doubt. But I don't think Ravenclaw is the place for you. You're also loyal, but you don't belong in Hufflepuff."

"Not Slytherin, not Slytherin." Albus murmured to the hat.

"You really are just like your father. But unlike him you show so much more potential for Slytherin than for Gryffindor."

"Please, anything but Slytherin."

"You belong in Slytherin."

"Don't I have a say in this?"

"Sorry, no. I'm the one with the experience here. I know what I'm doing."

"No."

"Slytherin!" The hat yelled out.

The Hall was silent. No one had expected it. 30 seconds later the Slytherin table burst out in cheers and applause. "We have Potter!" Was heard throughout the hall.

Albus saw the shocked look on his cousins face and went to the table he now belonged. He didn't have the courage to search for his brother's face. The girl who was sorted first waved him over. He sat down next to her.

"Didn't get into the house you wanted?" The girl asked.

"How'd you guess." Albus replied rather shortly.

"Don't worry. It will settle down and soon enough no one will care. I'm Bridget by the way, in case you forgot." The girl held her hand out.

Albus shook it. "You can call me Al."

The girl smiled at him and Albus couldn't help but smile back. Maybe being in Slytherin wasn't the worst thing ever.


	2. Chapter 1 Scorpius Malfoy

**AN: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, the alerts and the favs! I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I really had no idea how to continue this story. This chapter is for all of you who have shown interest in this story. **

**Oh, before I forget. Albus is in his fifth year now. I know I skipped a few years, but you'll find out what happened as the story goes along. Please enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter 1 Scorpius Malfoy**

"Al!"

Albus turned around and saw a girl with short black hair coming towards him. "Bridge! What did you do to your hair?"

"You like it? I needed some change. My parents were pissed. I was grounded for three weeks."

"Three weeks? Poor you. How did you survive?"

"Albus, come say goodbye." A man who looked a lot like Albus joined the two friends. "Hello Bridget. How was your summer?"

"Hello Mr Potter. Summer was fine."

"Liar." Albus whispered under his breath, his father didn't hear it.

"I'm glad. Albus, come say goodbye to your mother before the train leaves."

"Yes dad." Albus followed his father through the crowded platform.

"I'll save you a seat on the train!" Bridget yelled to Albus. He raised a hand to let her know he heard her.

When Albus arrived at his family he saw his mother once again praising his older brother, James, on his O.W.L.s. James was the perfect son. He got good grades, was a chaser and he was in Gryffindor. Albus got average grades and was in Slytherin. Albus also played Quidditch for Slytherin, he even was the seeker, just like his father. But he was still in Slytherin. He knew his parents didn't care what house he was in, they told him all the time, but it still felt different.

Albus didn't listen to his mother as she fussed over him and his siblings. He only noticed a few words like, hard work, O.W.L.s, letters, future, important and Christmas. He said goodbye to his family and entered the train. He found Bridget in one of the last compartments.

"Finally free. I love my family, but there are just so many of them. I swear uncle Ron and aunt Hermione never leave our house. Neither do their children. And George came by with Fred, they stayed for two weeks. The only one who doesn't drive me crazy is Ted. And he's hardly around anymore now that he and Victoire are living together." Albus paused for a second to take a breath. "And on my dad's birthday the entire family came over. I still don't know how everyone managed to be in the house, but it was horrible. My family is too big. But uncle Charlie also came to visit, you know the one who works with dragons, and he's so cool."

"Calm down, that's a lot of information to progress."

"Sorry. I just had to get it out of my system."

"It's out?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now it's my time to rant." Bridget smiled evilly at Albus. "Prepare yourself."

Albus made sure his seat was comfortable and nodded, bracing himself for the rant that was about to come.

"I hate my parents, absolutely hate them. How dare they interfere with my personal life like that? I hate them!"

"What happened?"

"They found my letters from Esme. They burned them! They burned my letters and demanded I broke up with Esme. I hate them." Bridget kicked the seat opposite from her. Albus was thankful he decided to not sit there.

"Did you and Esme…"

"No, I'm not breaking up with her because of my parents. You should've heard them. First they go on and on about the fact that I'm dating a girl, then they found out she's a muggle-born. All hell broke loose. I hate having pureblood parents who still believe in the old values."

"Did they found out before or after you painted your hair?"

"After. I was done with my punishment when they found out. I was free for two days. Stupid parents." Bridget continued to mutter curses under her breath.

Albus stared out of the window, ignoring his friend's suggestions on how to kill her parents.

A girl with blonde hair that reached her waist walked in. The color of her tie showed them that she was in Ravenclaw. "Bridge, are you okay?"

"Es!" Bridget jumped up and hugged the girl. "I missed you so much!"

Albus chose to look away again when the two began to make-out.

"I can't stay long, I have to sit with my sister. She's a first year, and she's so nervous. It's kind of adorable. I'll see you at Hogwarts. Bye Albus." Esme waved at Albus before walking out again.

"Bye." Albus wasn't sure she had heard him, she was gone in a flash.

Bridget and Albus talked about everything that happened over the summer. When the night began to fall they changed into their robes, ready for the arrival at Hogwarts.

It was raining when the train stopped at the platform in Hogsmeade. Bridget and Albus stayed in the train a little bit longer than necessary, hoping the rain would stop. When it only started to rain harder they decided waiting was useless and they went out.

They were some of the last people standing on the platform. They hurriedly made their way over to the carriages. Both let a sigh of relief escape when they were inside. Before the horseless carriage started to move someone opened the door.

"Do you mind if I sit with you? It's raining and I'd rather not wait for the next." The boy was soaked. His blonde hair stuck to his forehead, his robes clung to his body, showing how thin he was.

"Of course we don't mind, come in." Bridget made some space for the wet boy. "You're Scorpius Malfoy, aren't you?"

"Yes." For some reason the boy didn't like the fact that this girl knew his name.

"I'm Bridget and this is Albus." Bridget pointed to the dark haired boy next to her.

"Call me Al." Albus flashed the boy a smile.

"Albus potter? Maybe you shouldn't talk to me."

"Why not? Because of our parents?"

The blonde boy nodded.

"I don't care if our fathers used to hate each other. And I certainly don't care what your father did in the war. You're a different person."

Scorpius looked up. Something resembling hope was visible in his eyes. "Really? You don't care about my background?"

"No, of course not. Your family doesn't decide who you are." Bridget said. It was something she had to tell Albus a lot in their first year.

"Thanks." Scorpius muttered. He looked shy, but also happy. It was like he never had any real friends.

"Do you have any friends, Scorpius? I never see you with anyone." Albus asked.

Scorpius looked at his feet again.

"Al!" Bridget hit Al on the head. "Please ignore my friend's stupid question. You don't have to answer it."

"It's okay." Scorpius said. "And no, I don't have any friends. No one wants to be friends with me because of my name."

"Then we will be your friends." Albus held out his hand.

Scorpius looked at Albus with a confused look on his face. This was new to him, no one had ever wanted to be friends with him.

"Friends?" Scorpius asked, still waited for the catch.

"Friends." Albus said.

Scorpius shook Albus hand and from that day on it was official. Albus and Bridget were Scorpius' first friends.

**AN: **I hope you liked this chapter. But now I need your help. I'm really bad at thinking of names, and I will need some for the next chapters. So if anyone knows any names they would like to see in this story, please tell me in a review. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 2 Adoption

**AN: **Here's a list of Professors working at Hogwarts right now, or at least the ones I named already. Please tell me if I forgot a subject. (If anyone knows where I got Professor Strahl's name from (besides my sister) tell me. The first one to get it right wins… Let me think… well, I'll think of something. Oh, and it's just his last name, I thought of Hubert myself… Good luck!)

Headmistress: Professor Minerva McGonagall  
Transfiguration: Professor David Thistlethwaite (male) –Head of Slytherin-  
Herbology: Professor Neville Longbottom (male) –Head of Gryffindor-  
Defense against the Dark Arts: Professor Serena Blackwater (female) – Head of Ravenclaw-  
Potions: Professor Blake Channing (male) –Head of Hufflepuff-  
Charms: Professor Laurette Solange (female)  
History of Magic: Professor Cuthbert Binns (male)  
Care of magical creatures: Rubeus Hagrid (male)  
Muggle Studies: Professor Tammi Benedict (female)  
Ancient Runes: Professor Annabella Morgan (female)  
Arithmancy: Professor Brad Codie (male)  
Astronomy: Professor Tisha Corbinian  
Flying: Professor Hubert Strahl (male)

Sorry it took me so long to update. I think it will always last this long, or maybe longer. I'm in my last year of high school and teachers seem to enjoy torturing me with homework…

**Chapter 2 Adoption**

"Nice of you to join us, Mr Potter."

"Sorry Professor Thistlethwaite." Albus was slightly out of breath. He couldn't believe he hadn't woken up on time for breakfast and was late for the first class of the year. As a result he was now starving and he would most likely get detention.

"I'll let it slip this time. But be on time from now on, okay?" The blonde Professor smiled at Albus. "There's a seat free next to Mr Malfoy." Professor Thistlethwaite waved to a free seat in the back, next to the young Malfoy.

Albus hurried over there and sat down. If you had blinked you would've missed the movement.

"Lucky." Scorpius whispered to the boy.

"Congratulations, you've made it to the fifth year. This year is important, as you all know. At the end of the year you will all take the exams also known as the O.W.L.s. Your results will be important for your future, so I will expect you all to work hard this year." It was the first time that year they heard that speech, but it wouldn't be the last.

Scorpius joined Albus and Bridget at the Slytherin table for lunch. It wasn't Scorpius' idea, the two had insisted on it. The blonde was rather nervous. People had always treated him unkindly at his own table, and now he was risking it at another. It seemed ridiculous.

"Al!" A boy with dark brown hair waved the three over. "You really must be the most lucky person alive."

"What?" Albus tried to think of something that would have the boy consider him lucky.

"Thistlethwaite? Remember?" The boy rolled his eyes.

"Very funny, Davis." Bridget cut in. "But we all know Thistlethwaite has a thing for Albus."

"He does not!"

"Dude, if it were anyone else they would've been grounded for the rest of the week." Davis argued.

"Scorpius, help me out here. Thistlethwaite does not have a thing for me, right?"

"Well, now that you mention it." Scorpius mumbled, afraid he might lose his friend if he said something wrong.

"Come on!" Albus threw his hands in the air in a very dramatic, theatrical way.

"Sorry, but he is awfully fond of you."

"Don't be sorry, it's the truth. And it's about time Albus saw it." Davis told Scorpius. "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you in Gryffindor?"

"I-" Scorpius didn't know what to say.

"Those Gryffindorks are the worst. They treat him like he's nothing. We should adopt him, as Slytherins." Bridget helped out.

"Great idea." Davis charmed in. To make matters worse, or at least worse in Scorpius' point of view, he jumped on his seat and addressed all the other Slytherins about the matter.

"Everyone in favor of adopting Scorpius raise your hand." Davis yelled. Most, if not all, hands were raised. "Those opposed can join the Gryffindorks." He jumped off the bench and held his hand out for Scorpius to shake. "Welcome to Slytherin."

"Thanks." Scorpius shook the boy's hand with a blush. He had never been treated this kindly.

Scorpius was greeted very kindly by all Slytherins, something that had never happened to him before. Most even apologized for not noticing his pain earlier. Everyone always heard the stories about how great Gryffindors were, but Scorpius proved them wrong. And the fact that his friends backed him up was a great help.

But like the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Albus, Davis and Scorpius were called to Professor Thistlethwaite's office that evening.

"This is against the rules. You can't transfer to another house, Scorpius. You were sorted in your first year and that's where you'll be for your remaining time at Hogwarts."

"I know that, Professor." Scorpius looked at his feet. It was all too good to be true after all.

"Then what were you thinking?"

"It wasn't his fault Professor." Davis interrupted. "I thought of it."

"And I helped." Albus added.

"Oh." Thistlethwaite considered the information for a second.

"You have to understand Professor. They're treating him like shit. No one talks to him. We just want to be his friends. Isn't that allowed? Doesn't the hat tell us to work together? To not hate each other because of our house?"

"That's true Mr Potter, but…"

"It's not like we're asking you to transfer him to Slytherin officially."

"What is it exactly that you want me to do?"

"Allow him in our common room." Albus said. It was a long shot, and he knew that it was impossible and against the rules, but he had to start somewhere.

Thistlethwaite gave it some thought. "Okay. But you're not going to whine about a transfer, okay?"

The three looked surprised.

"You can tell him the password. Now go. I'm sure you have homework waiting for you." Thistlethwaite lead the three shocked boys out of his office. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"What was that?" Albus asked on the way back to the common room.

"I think… Scorpius is officially adopted by Slytherin." Davis replied smug. "And Thistlethwaite seriously has a thing for you, Al."

"He does not!"

"Did you see the way he looked at you? 'I'll see you in class tomorrow, Albus. You'd better do your homework or I might have to punish you.'" Davis said in his best imitation of Thistlethwaite.

Scorpius couldn't help but laugh.

"That's disgusting. He doesn't like me." Albus shivered at the thought. It was wrong. And gross. And… just not good. And a lie. A teacher did not have feelings for him.

They reached the entrance to the common room. "Gryffindorks." Davis said.

The room was filled with every last Slytherin, waiting to hear what happened.

"And?" Bridget asked the question that was in everyone's mind.

"He can't officially transfer, but he's allowed in the common room." Davis took a step aside to reveal The blonde Gryffindor.

The room burst out in cheers and Scorpius and congratulated by everyone. Somehow it ended in a massive party, and Scorpius spend his first night in the Slytherin dormitories.

**AN: **That was so short… sorry! I hate Thistlethwaite's name. I keep making typos in his name. but I still think it's a cool name so I won't change it.

Don't forget about the competition! Good luck!


	4. Chapter 3 Quidditch Practice

**AN: **I really have a problem. I know exactly what I want to write, but somehow I can't put it on paper. You have no idea how frustrated I was during writing this. But I finally finished! I hope you like it!

**Chapter 3 Quidditch practice.**

Along with the start of the new school year came the start of the Quidditch season. Slytherin was lucky this year, they had no needs for try-outs. Gryffindor however needed new beaters and a new seeker.

"Listen up everyone, this year we will win the Quidditch cup. Gryffindor's star seeker left Hogwarts, and we have Albus. So this year there is no way that Gryffindor will win." William Danforth, captain of Slytherin, began his speech. "This year we will focus on Albus. He's fast and an amazing seeker. D&D will keep the bludger away. The chaser will score as many points as possible and I will guard the goals."

"Will, isn't that the same technique as last year?" Harry Goldman, one of the chasers, asked.

"And the year before that, and the year before that." D&D, more commonly known as Davis Kamiya and Dennis Danforth, added.

"That may be, but this year it will work. Because this year we no longer have to face Ken. This year we will win!" William sounded confident.

"We don't even know who the new seeker is going to be, Will. Gryffindor is keeping it a secret. What if it's my sister, she's bloody fast." Albus wasn't as confident as the captain. He had raced his sister many times, and not once had he won. He knew that if he had to face her he would lose, big time.

"You're not telling me that you're scared of your little sister, are you Albus?"

"Have you ever seen her fly a broom? She's scary. And not only is she faster than I am, she also has a better broom. There is absolutely no way we can win if she's the new seeker." Albus let his head hang. For him there was only one option available, losing.

"You will just have to get faster." William said like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Now get out, all of you. We've wasted enough time talking already."

After fifteen minutes of training William called everyone down.

"This isn't working." William told them like it was their fault.

"What did we do this time, Will?" Davis asked.

"Albus needs someone to race. How can he get faster when all he does is chase that bloody ball?"

"Language, William." Jane said.

"Yes, mom."

"What did you call me?"

"How about I race Albus." Scorpius quickly said before Jane and William could start fighting.

"I don't know, Scorpius." William said.

"I think it's a great idea." Albus tried to help Scorpius stop the fighting.

"Yeah, Will. It's worth a try." Davis was determined as well to stop Jane and William.

"Come on, brother. Let's try it." Dennis added. No one in the team wanted another fight between Jane and William. It had happened to many times last year.

"Okay. Get your broom Scorpius." William rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe that his team had once again made a decision for him. He was supposed to be the captain.

Five minutes later training had started again. Albus and Scorpius were racing far above everyone else. The boys were equally matched.

"Scorpius, you're really good." Davis slapped Scorpius on the back.

"Thanks. My dad and I used to race when I was younger." Scorpius had a sad smile on his face.

"Used to? Why not anymore? Let me guess, it's because you're a Gryffindor, right?" Davis said, tactful.

"No. He's… well, he's not happy about it, but he's dealing with it. He fell a few years ago. He hasn't flown since. "

"Oh." Davis replied. He had been sure he was right. Especially after the howler Mr Malfoy had send Scorpius in his first year.

"My grandfather is the one who's pissed at me. That's why my father send me that howler. But the next summer he told my grandfather that it didn't matter to him whether I was in Slytherin or not."

"And he excepted that?" Davis asked, surprised. His entire view on the Malfoy family was being ruined.

"Oh no, my dad got disowned."

"Really?" This was something Davis liked. There was still something about the Malfoys that he expected.

"Al! Scorpius!" Bridget came running to them.

"Hey, where have you been?" Albus asked. Bridget usually watched during practice.

"Detention with Thistlethwaite." Bridget rolled her eyes.

"You should've told us. I was worried." Albus said.

"Yeah, Al could've gotten you out of it." Davis nudged Albus teasingly.

"Davis! It's not funny!" Al's good mood was ruined. He hated it when his friends teased him about Thistlethwaite.

"Anyway… how was practice?" Bridget enjoyed the occasional teasing of Albus, but unlike Davis she did know when to stop.

"Oh, the usual. William explained his technique, Jane and William fought and Scorpius joined in."

"What?! Scorpius, you did?"

"Yeah. William needed someone to race Albus and I offered." Scorpius had a slight blush. He still wasn't used to this attention.

"He's really good." Davis said, again very tactful.

"I'll have to see that next time." Bridget turned to Scorpius. "Are you going to fly again next time?"

"Eh…" Scorpius bit his bottom lip.

"I think William will kill him if he doesn't." Davis had this stupid grin on his face.

"We'll see." Albus answered for Scorpius, noticing his discomfort.

"You should've…" Davis began.

"Oh, before I forget. Davis, Thistlethwaite is looking for you." Bridget tried to save Scorpius from Davis, even though she knew that Davis would bring up Thistlethwaite's affection for Albus again.

"What does he want? Are you sure he didn't ask for Albus?" Davis winked to Albus.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now go." Bridget was very close to hitting Davis, but luckily for him he left just in time.

"Tell me why we're friends with him again." Albus said to Bridget.

"He can be really nice when he isn't annoying."

"Yeah, when he isn't annoying."

"Anyway, have you guys heard about the Halloween dance?" Bridget began walking towards the common room, the two boys following.

"No." Albus answered.

"McGonagall thought it was a good idea to have a dance this Halloween. It's going to be a masked ball. I'm really looking forward to it. We'll need to shop for costumes the next time we're going to Hogsmeade."

"Great." Albus suddenly wished he wasn't friends with Bridget. The last time he and Bridget went shopping for something clothes related it had been a nightmare.

"I can't wait." Bridget smiled at the two.

"Me neither." Albus tried to small back, but to him it felt wrong.

**TBC**

**AN: **Before I stop this chapter, I want to thank everyone who reviewed, added this story to their favorites/watch lists. It always makes me happy to see people like what I'm writing. Thank you! Oh, and the next chapter will have a bit of AlbusXScorpius in it!


	5. Chapter 4 it's a shopping nightmare!

**AN:** OMG, I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated. I am so sorry! Please, please, please, please find it in your hearts to forgive me! Explanation of why it takes me this long to update at the bottom, for those interested. There's also a bonus as an apology.

This is the first chapter with some AlbusXScorpius in it, though it's just a very little bit. So, if you don't like that… too bad because I love it!

**Chapter 4 It's a shopping nightmare!**

News of the dance was spreading around Hogwarts like wildfire. The line-up for people wanting to go to Hogsmeade reached record lengths. The students who didn't have permission, or who were too young tried to sneak through. But they failed. Older students offered to buy the younger ones costumes, but they did want some money in return. Many were eager to pay the small sum.

Bridget, Albus and Scorpius had left the common room early to get to the gates ahead of the crowd. Or rather, Albus and Scorpius were dragged out of their beds (the boys had conjured up an extra bed for Scorpius) at the break of dawn by Bridget. It would be an understatement to say that they were unhappy. They were furious. They didn't see what the use was of standing up so early to get a silly costume to wear to a stupid dance. But they both feared Bridget's wrath and decided to go with her. It was going to be a long day.

The first shop they visited was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.George had heard about the dance and had purchased many costumes and masks. He had even taken time to invent masks that prevented people from recognizing the wearer. Bridget tried out several dresses.

The first dress she tried on was a Greek goddess dress. The dress was white at the top and faded to light blue at the bottom. There was a low V-neck. The sleeves were long and wide. She looked beautiful. Albus and Scorpius both agreed on that. But she still wasn't happy.

She tried out several other dresses before dragging the two boys out of the shop. They entered the shop next to WWW, Gladrags Wizardwear. While Bridget eagerly tried on every dress she could get her hands on Albus and Scorpius both found dress robes they liked.

Albus' robe was black, but when the light fell on it a green glow covered the fabric. Scorpius had decided on dark blue dress robes. Both were simple but classy designs.

Bridget couldn't find anything she liked and the three of them went back to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Bridget browsed through the dresses that were left and Albus and Scorpius admired the enchanted masks. The boys decided to buy one, that way they could make a fool out of themselves without being recognized.

"So, the three of you have returned." George walked towards the three students. "Have you found a dress you like yet, Bridget?"

"No. There was one, but it's gone now." Bridget pouted.

"I saw you trying on this one dress this morning that looked really nice on you, I kept it in the back in case you decided you wanted it after all." George summoned the Greek goddess dress Bridget had tried on that morning.

"Thank you!" Bridget said. "That was the one I wanted."

Bridget went to the register to pay for the dress. George turned to the two boys.

"Remember; women always decide to buy the first thing they saw." George grinned at the two.

"Thanks. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't kept that dress." Albus said grateful.

"More shopping probably." Scorpius sounded scared just saying the option.

"Next time she wants to shop with us, we're sick."

Scorpius nodded in agreement.

Albus, Scorpius and Bridget said goodbye to George and walked back to Hogwarts. To Albus the road had never looked this long. He just wanted to eat dinner and go to bed. Shopping with Bridget was exhausting. The young Potter looked sideways to Scorpius and saw the boy was also tired. The sooner they got back the better.

Dinner passed in a blur and the boys stumbled back to their common room and went straight to bed. They were never going to do this again.

The few weeks that were left before Halloween passed by quickly. Albus was asked out by several girls, but he turned them all down. he didn't want a date to the dance. Or at least not any of the girls that asked him, or any of the other girls at Hogwarts.

If you had asked him a year ago who he'd want to go to the dance with he would've instantly answered; 'Melani', but that had passed. Right now the only one that could make his heart beat a little bit faster was Scorpius. But he was sure that was because of something else. Not love or anything. He just hadn't figured out what exactly caused his body to behave that way around the youngest Malfoy.

It was the night of the dance and all the Slytherin fifth years were getting ready. Davis was joking and bragging about the girl he was taking to the dance, Albus thought her name was Kari, but he didn't pay much attention to the energetic boy.

Albus had his dress robes on and the only thing left was the mask. He reached for it at the same time as Scorpius. Their hands touched briefly and Albus heart skipped a beat. What was wrong with his body?

They decided to put the masks on when they entered the Great Hall and went to the common room to wait for Bridget.

The girl looked beautiful. One of the older Slytherins almost drooled at the sight of her. She didn't notice the boy and dragged the boys to the Great Hall. She was so excited! She got to dance with Esme. The two didn't see each other much because of all the school work, but that only made the time they did spend together even better.

When they entered the hall Bridget looked around for her girlfriend. She found her quickly and left the two boys after a short goodbye.

Albus took a deep breath and held up his mask. "Ready?"

Scorpius nodded.

Albus slid the mask in place and walked into the big mass of students.

**TBC**

**AN: **So, here's an explanation for all of you who want to hear it. There are several reasons why it takes me this long to update.

I'm in my final year of school (finally!!!!) and it's very stressful.

I've been going through some personal issues

I kind of wrote the prologue without thinking. I didn't know how I would continue this story. I now have an evil plot, so it should come along better.

I hope you can all forgive me. This story is most loved by you, my readers. (seriously, 22 reviews for 4 chapters? That's a first for me) I hope you enjoyed this update, even though it took me so long to write it.

I was looking through all the crap I have on my laptop and found a deleted scene for this story. I'll also post it as an 'I'm sorry'. This was originally going to be the first chapter, before I decided to immediately skip to Al's fifth year (a.k.a. the year when it finally gets interesting!):

**Deleted Scene**

There were different opinions about Albus' sorting. There were people who didn't really care, most of them were in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. There were people who, well let's say they weren't very pleased, those were the Gryffindors. And lastly there was a group who couldn't be happier, Slytherin.

Albus had thought that his upperclassmen would be horrible, especially after hearing all those stories from his uncle Ron about Slytherin, but they weren't. Sure they weren't so nice towards other houses, but they were very friendly towards people in their own house.

In the first few weeks people would come up to Albus and question him about his house. Luckily for him the older Slytherins would help him out. And Bridget was right, all the commotion settled down and Albus actually liked his time in Slytherin. That was until Christmas came along.

The day after his sorting Albus had gotten a letter from his parents. They told him not to listen to his brother and that it really didn't matter what house he was in. But he hadn't spoken to them face to face. And he was getting nervous. What if that letter was only meant to comfort him so he wouldn't get bad grades. What if they didn't mean anything and they would tell him when he got home? What if…

"Al?" Bridget waved her hand in front of Albus face. "Earth to Al, you there?"

It took some time for Albus to get out of his thoughts, but he managed to respond anyway. "Yeah?" The respond wasn't very intelligent, but it was a respond.

"You're worrying again." Bridget looked at him disapproving. "Don't."

"I can't help it." Albus pulled his hair in frustration. "It's just so… Aaah!"

"Relax. Your father is Harry Potter. He's a hero. He can't kick you out, the papers will be all over it."

"Don't mention them." He remembered the headlines all too clearly when he just got sorted. It wasn't pretty.

"Al, you're overreacting. Your parents can't be that bad. Just be glad you're not Scorpius."

"Remember that Howler? I still feel sorry for him."

While Albus had gotten a comforting letter from his parents, Scorpius had gotten a Howler from his father. To summarize the contents, Draco Malfoy was not pleased. And Scorpius was not to come home for Christmas.


	6. Chapter 5 Gryffindor's hate explained

**AN: **See, it is possible for me to update fast! Go me! –insert happy dance-

Finally some AlbusXScorpius action!!!! YAY!!!!! (yes, I am excited about that)

Before I start this chapter I want to take a moment to thank my reviewers. MopCat, KatrinaEagle, cookie-xsawery and Sabaku no Pearl. Thank you! It's because of you that I updated this fast.

**Chapter 5 Gryffindor's hate explained**

Albus walked through the crowd of students. A few students asked him to dance with him, but he turned them all down. He noticed a group of Gryffindors and he decided to join them. No one knew who he was now so it was the only chance for him to fit in with his brother's group.

Naturally James was the center of attention. One of James' friends saw Albus join the group.

"Hey, you're not Slytherin, are you?"

"Why would I join you if I was?" Was Albus' witty remark.

"Hey, I like this guy." Albus had caught James attention.

"Thanks." Albus felt truly happy that moment. Ever since he had been sorted into Slytherin his brother didn't talk to him any more than necessary. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you have against Slytherins?"

James laughed. "Are you a muggleborn or something? I can't believe you don't know."

"Is there something wrong with being a muggleborn?"

"No, of course not. I'll explain it to you." James climbed on a chair to add a dramatic effect to his words. "23 years ago the second war came to an end here, at Hogwarts. Harry Potter, my father", James added the last bit proudly. "Versus Lord Voldemort." Some of the Gryffindors shivered, even though it had been years since Voldemort was defeated.

"All the students were in the Great Hall as Lord Voldemort approached Hogwarts. McGonagall explained the situation to the students while all of a sudden a voice filled the Great Hall."

More and more students joined the group listening to James' story.

" 'Give me Harry Potter' Voldemort said. 'and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.'

"No one even thinks of handing my dad over to Voldemort, except those Slytherins. One of them stands up and shrieks, 'But he's there! Potter's _there_! Someone grab him!'

"Before the grown-ups can respond all of the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs stand up and point their wands at the girl.

"And that is why we hate Slytherin. If it were for them Voldemort would be ruling the world now.

"And now my brother is a Slytherin, one of those people who betrayed our father. I just can't believe it!"

"That's why you won't talk to me? Because one stupid girl betrayed our father?" Albus removed his mask and looked angrily at his older brother.

"Albus?"

"I thought I could be your friend, even if it was just for one evening, I thought I could be happy for one evening. But never mind. Have fun with your friends, James." Albus turned around and disappeared in the crowd.

"Next time we should check if there are no traitors in our midst. Who knows when they'll stab you in the back!" James said just loud enough for Albus to hear.

Silent tears ran down Albus cheeks as he put his mask back on again. He couldn't stand the people staring at him. The moment the mask covered his face people looked around confused, but they couldn't find the young Potter.

Albus flinched when someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

Albus turned around and saw a boy looking at him. His hair was blond and his gray eyes looked somewhat familiar, but Albus couldn't think of a name or a face to fit him.

"I'll be fine."

The boy wiped away the tears away from Albus cheeks. "Dance with me."

Albus nodded and got dragged by the mysterious boy to the dance floor. A new song started when the two set foot on the dance floor. The tears were soon forgotten and the two had a wonderful time.

Slowly people began to leave the Great Hall. Albus and his mystery partner decided to leave as well. They paused outside the Great Hall. The blonde haired leaned closer to Albus. The Slytherin knew were this was going, but did nothing to stop it. He closed his eyes when he felt those soft lips on his. It was brief, it was perfect.

"So, what house are you in?" The blonde haired asked Albus.

"Slytherin, and you?"

"Me too." The blonde smiled. "I'll show you my face if you want to."

"I…" Albus hesitated.

"You don't have to take off your own mask."

Albus nodded and watched as the boy took of his mask. Albus eyes grew larger when he recognized the boy. Without thinking any more about it he ran off. He ran up eight flights of stairs until he reached the Astronomy tower. He ran outside and dropped down on the floor. He took his mask off and threw it off of the tower. His head fell in his hands.

"Scorpius." Albus whispered. He traced his lips with quivering fingers. "Scorpius…"

Albus fell back and watched the stars, the only thought on his mind was his blonde friend as he fell asleep.

Albus rubbed his eyes. He stretched and opened his eyes. It took him a few minutes before he remembered what had happened the previous night.

"Damn." Albus realized he was still wearing his dress robes. He raced through the corridors, down the stairs, to the Slytherin common room. Luckily for him no one was up yet. Albus quickly got rid of his robes and crawled into bed.

He laid still for half an hour, thinking about the previous night, before the other boys began to wake up. Albus played along and pretended he had been in his bed the entire night. He wasn't sure what to do next. Was he going to tell Scorpius it was him? Or should he keep quiet? Until he had made a decision he would do the latter. It did seem like the best option for now.

"Have you seen Scorpius?" Davis asked to no one in particular.

Albus looked at the blonde's bed, he hadn't noticed before that it was empty. It looked like the boy hadn't slept in it at all.

"I didn't notice him come in all night. Neither did I see you coming in, Al. What happened? Did Thistlethwaite seduce you and made you sneak in before we woke up?"

"NO!" This was the last thing Albus wanted to hear in the morning. He was already worried about Scorpius, he didn't want his friend teasing him about Thistlethwaite. Albus stormed out of the room in anger.

He passed the Great Hall and walked outside to blow off some steam. He paused for a minute at the white tomb that held one of the headmasters he was named after. He continued walking much slower than before. He strolled along the side of the lake. Then he noticed a figure sitting about 10 meters ahead.

"Scorpius?"

**TBC**


	7. On Hiatus

LiS on Hiatus

As you've probably noticed, I haven't updates in a long time. The reason for that is personal problems. I've gotten my life back on track now though, so there's no need to worry about me. But I won't be updating this story for some time. I'm focusing all my writing energy in my Sasunaru fic, School Days. A lot of what I've been going through happens to the main character in that story and it helps me deal with things. Once I've finished that story I'll start working on this story again.

I will finish this story, I promise! I just love Al and Scorpius too much. I really hope they cast them properly for the last movie. Otherwise I'm going to cry. But, nothing can be worse than Michael Gambon. I hate how he plays Dumbledore. He's more Gandalf than Dumbledore. I'd better stop now before I start ranting about Michael Gambon again.

I had already written part of the next chapter, and the plan was to finish that and post it with this notice, but when I read it again it really sucked. So, I'm sorry but no new chapter here.

I hope all of you are doing well and can forgive me for this and won't abandon this story completely.

Yours sincerely,

Phoebe


	8. Chapter 6 James Potter In Trouble

**I'm back! And hopefully I won't leave again for this long. I've just shoved all the ideas I had for this fic aside and I'll see where the story takes me. I've been trying so hard to think of how it should end that I never knew how to get there. (I've had at least 5 different endings) **

**For those of you who waited patiently for me, Thank you! I also want to thank everyone who wrote in a review that they'd wait. You are guys are amazing. I'll give this story my all for you!**

**For those of you who waited impatiently, sorry guys!**

**For those of you who saw this chapter pop up in their e-mail and have no idea what the story is about and completely forgot about it, here's a summary:**

_Albus gets sorted into Slytherin and thinks it's the worst thing that could've happened to him. Until he meets Bridget, a fellow Slytherin. They become best friends and suddenly it doesn't seem like the end of the world._

_When Albus begins his fifth year he and Bridget become friends with Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius was sorted into Gryffindor and has been treated horribly by his housemates. Pretty soon all of Slytherin decides to "adopt" him into their house. Professor Thistlethwaite, the Head of Slytherin, doesn't seem too pleased. Fortunately he has a weak spot for Albus and the young Potter convinces him to let Scorpius stay in Slytherin._

_There's a Halloween ball and both Albus and Scorpius wear a mask that won't let anyone know who they are. Albus blends into his brothers group, but when his brother insults him he reveals himself and runs away crying. He gets comforted by some guy. They both don't know who the other is and end up kissing. The other guy reveals himself, it's Scorpius. Albus runs_ _away. The next day Albus finds Scorpius at the lake._

**Chapter 6 James Potter … In Trouble**

"_Scorpius?"_

Scorpius looked up at the sound of Albus´ voice. His eyes were red and puffy, clear signs that he had been crying. He also looked like he hadn´t slept yet.

"What happened?" Albus knew exactly what had happened to his friend, but he didn't want to acknowledge it, at least not yet.

"There was this bloke. At the dance." Scorpius was looking out over the lake, turned away from Albus as he spoke. "We kissed. When I showed him who I am … he ran."

Albus sat down next to him and put his arm around his friend. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault I'm a loser." Scorpius let himself lean on Albus, he was exhausted.

"You're not a loser!" Albus almost yelled at the blonde. "Don't ever say that again."

"Why else would he run away?"

"There could be a million reasons. Maybe when you still wore your mask it wasn't real to him, but when he saw who you are he realized he'd just kissed a bloke." Albus decided in that moment he wouldn't tell Scorpius. They were friends, and he didn't want to risk breaking up that friendship. "But enough about that, you look dead tired. I'm getting you to bed, right now. You're lucky it's Saturday."

"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without you as a friend." Scorpius got pulled up by Albus and together they walked back to the castle. Albus was very silent, he didn't know what he could and should say. Scorpius had made it quite clear that he thought of Albus as a friend, even if Albus wanted that to change.

While Scorpius lay in bed, trying to catch some sleep, Albus was attacked by questions from Bridget. First about his brother and later about Scorpius. Apparently Bridget had seen Scorpius take off his mask and she wanted to know what Albus knew. Albus answered all of her questions, he was in no mood to try and weasel himself out of the questioning. When Bridget asked him if he had any idea who could've been kissing Scorpius he wished that he had thought of a way out. Luckily for him Davis came over just at that moment.

"Hey Al, your boyfriend is looking for you." Davis couldn't stop laughing at his own joke. He just loved teasing Albus about Thistlethwaite every chance he got.

"I don't have a boyfriend!" Albus' first thought at that statement went out to Scorpius. He was afraid that Davis had found out that he and Scorpius had kissed. But then he realized this was Davis, and Davis always teased him about Thistlethwaite.

"Don't let David hear you. He'll be heartbroken. I know you're worried about his job, but don't worry. I won't tell anyone you two are dating."

"Oh for Merlin's sake. Just call him Thistlethwaite will you. He's our professor. And we're NOT dating!" Albus got up angrily. He was tired of this. He never asked to be Thistlethwaite's favourite student. "I'm sorry Bridget. Apparently PROFESSOR Thistlethwaite is looking for me." Albus left the common room as quickly as he could, but he didn't get out fast enough.

"Don't forget to use condoms! You don't know where he's been!" Davis yelled after the poor boy.

Albus chose to ignore Davis and the stone door closed behind him faster than usual. Apparently even the castle felt sorry for Albus.

Albus knocked on the door to Thistlethwaite his office. "Come in!"

Albus saw Thistlethwaite sitting behind his desk. The man had a grim expression on his face. "Have a seat, please. There's something you must know."

The expression Thistlethwaite's face showed and tone his voice took told Albus that something was wrong, very wrong. "What happened?"

"It's about your brother." Thistlethwaite didn't look happy at all, nothing like how he usually looked around Albus.

"What about him? Did he drop dead? He deserves it" Albus didn't quite mean that, but James had treated him like shit.

"Albus." Thistlethwaite scolded Albus, even though it sounded more like a light reprimand. "Don't speak about your brother like that. He may have hurt you yesterday, but he's still your brother."

"You heard about yesterday?"

"The entire school knows." Thistlethwaite stood behind Albus and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm really sorry. If you ever need to talk to someone, my door is always open. I know it can be hard with an older brother like that."

"Thank you." Albus was truly grateful. He didn't know if he would take him up on it, but the offer was appreciated.

"Anyway, about your brother. He sneaked into the Forbidden Forest yesterday evening. He's in pretty bad shape. He's in the Hospital Wing. Your parents have been notified and they're on their way. Your sister is already in the Hospital Wing. She needs you."

Albus wished he hadn't wished his brother dead. Sure it wasn't his fault that his brother was so incredibly stupid as to walk into the Forbidden Forest at night, but he did feel a bit guilty. James didn't deserve this.

"Thank you for telling me, Professor." Albus got up and rushed out of the room. He didn't want his sister to be alone now. He ran all the way to the Hospital Wing. He passed several professors, but none of them stopped him. He guessed they all knew about James.

"Al!" Lily jumped up and hugged her older brother the second she saw him. "He's hurt, Al. I don't know what to do. Mom and Dad are coming. What if he … What if he ..." The poor girl was sobbing into her brother's chest.

"It's okay. I'm here." Albus hugged Lily close to him. He looked over at his brother and what he saw shocked him. James was covered in bandages, several were soaked with blood. He was deadly pale as opposed to his normal tan. He looked horrible. Madam Pomfrey was busy healing him, but Albus doubted she would be able to heal him completely.

"Al … I'm scared." Lily whispered.

"I know." Albus stroked her hair. "I'm scared too. But Madam Pomfrey is doing everything she can. She's very talented and she's not going to let James die. So, let's sit down here and wait for mom and dad." He guided her sister over to the chairs that someone had placed near James' bed.

Albus kept holding his sister while waiting for their parents to come. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to say something that would actually make her feel worse. When their parents walked in they looked panicked. Harry was holding Ginny in the same way Albus had held Lily when they were still standing. Both were speechless as they stared at their oldest son.

"Harry, Ginny. I'm so sorry." Professor McGonagall had walked in. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"

Harry and Ginny followed her into Madam Pomfrey's office. Albus watched them leave, but didn't get up to eavesdrop. He stayed with his sister, she needed him. When they came back, Harry took his children aside while Ginny stayed at her son's bed.

"James is ..." Harry was having trouble getting the words he needed to say out. "He's in very bad shape. They're going to take him to St. Mungo's."

"Is he going to die?" Lily asked between sobs.

"I don't know sweetie. The Healers are going to do everything they can. We have to hope for the best, okay Lily?"

"Yes." The girl held onto her brother even tighter during Harry's explanation of the situation.

A couple of healers came in. They swished their wands and a stretcher appeared. They carefully placed the injured boy on it and left again. Ginny and Harry decided to go with them. Professor McGonagall gave Albus and Lily permission to join them and Lily went with their parents. Albus excused himself before leaving quickly. If it was his choice he'd rather spend time with his friends than with his parents.

When he came back to the common room Bridget and Davis were playing a game of wizard's chess. Or rather, Bridget was beating Davis at wizard's chess.

"Is Scorpius still asleep?" Albus asked them.

Bridget nodded but didn't look up. She was concentrating on the game. Davis was sweating, concentrating just as hard. He always refused to lose to a girl. But there had yet to be a time were he beat Bridget.

Albus went to see Scorpius. The sight of the blonde hurt him. His face was stained with tear tracks. He wanted to help him, but he didn't want to risk their friendship. Suddenly he found the answer. He'd be Scorpius' secret admirer. He knew a spell that would alter his handwriting, that way no one would know that he wrote the letters he'd be sending Scorpius. He immediately started on the first letter he would write to the blonde.

Albus was back in the common room in time for Davis' great defeat. He had to admit that the guy was getting better at chess, but he was still no match for Bridget. When Davis was still trying to figure out where he made a wrong move Scorpius came in, carrying the letter Albus had written not that long ago.

"He send me a letter!" Scorpius joined his friends. He was smiling. Albus had made the right decision.

"Let me read it." Bridget almost ripped the letter out of Scorpius' hands, but Davis was faster.

Davis started reading the letter out loud. But he had the decency not to yell it out, it was just loud enough for the four of them to hear. He even refrained from his comments.

"Dear Scorpius,

"I'm so sorry I hurt you. I just never expected to be kissing you. You see, I know you. And I like you. A lot.

"When I ran I wasn't thinking. I was panicking. I couldn't believe it was happening. I didn't think about you until it was too late. Until I'd hurt you already. So I ask you to forgive me. I don't expect you to, but I hope you will. I'm too scared to tell you who I am, but I can't just stand on the sideline and see you hurting.

"I'll keep sending you these letters, unless you don't want me to. And who knows, I might just gather enough courage to tell you who I am.

"Your Secret Admirer.

"p.s. Should you want to send me a letter too, leave it on your bedside table before you go to sleep and I'll read it while you're sleeping."

"Oh! That's so cute!" Bridget hugged Scorpius. "A secret admirer? That's so romantic. I wonder who he is."

Albus watched as his friends tried to figure out who Scorpius' admirer was, with a smile on his face. He'd made the right choice.

**TBC**

I hope you liked this chapter. And once again, I'm sorry for leaving you hanging for so long.


	9. Chapter 7 Dear

**AN: **I'm going to try to update at least once a week from now on. I'm also planning on starting and ending every chapter with a letter from Scorpius and Albus. Enjoy!

**Chapter 7 Dear …**

_Dear Secret Admirer,_

_I'll allow you to seduce me through your letters, but I do want a name. Of course not your real name, but I don't want to keep calling you Secret Admirer. I could name you myself, but I don't really know you well enough. I'd probably end up calling you Forrest._

_So, you know me. I assume I know you as well, or at least know of you. You're making me wonder who you are. Every Slytherin I see can be you. Do you know how frustrating that is? You can stalk me, but I can't stalk you._

_I do hope you're not stalking me. I would never date a stalker. I'll ask my friends to watch out for a stalker. _

_So, will you tell me something about yourself? Something no one else knows? I'll tell you a secret if you tell me one._

_Waiting for your next letter,_

_Scorpius._

_p.s. Okay, I'll tell you a secret first. I like watching old muggle movies with my mom._

Albus didn't want to visit his brother, but his father had insisted on it. James needed all the moral support he could get. Or at least that's what his father said. That's why Albus found himself surrounded by white hospital walls and in the presence of his entire family. It was a Sunday and Albus' cousins had also gotten permission to visit James in the hospital. The scene was like a nightmare to Albus. His entire family in one place. That usually only happened at Christmas. He was supposed to have another two months to prepare for this.

But, all of that aside, Albus was glad his brother was doing better. The Healers told them it was a close call, if he had been found an hour later he wouldn't have made it. No one was really sure what happened. James was attacked by some creature, or several creatures maybe, but the forest was filled with so many different creatures that it was almost impossible to find out what really happened. James had regained consciousness earlier that day and everyone had already asked him what happened, but James claimed he didn't remember anything. Which was most likely an excuse to stay out of trouble.

For the rest of the day Albus tried to be on the background as much as possible. And he succeeded until his father pulled him aside.

"What's wrong Al? You've barely said a word all day. Do you know what happened to James? Did he make you promise not to tell?" Harry had been trying all day to get any little bit of information about what happened to James out of anyone. And now it was Albus' turn.

"I don't know what happened to him. I didn't see him after ..."

"After what? Al, you can tell me." Harry cut in.

"After he humiliated me at the dance." Albus had had enough now, he didn't want to stay here anymore.

"He what?" Harry grabbed his son before he could leave. "What did he do?"

"I don't want to tell you." Albus really didn't want to have to remember what happened, let alone tell his father.

"Al, you can tell me anything. If James said something that hurt you I want to know, Albus."

"You won't understand. Just … Just let me go back to Hogwarts." Albus let his head hang. This was all too much for him. He hadn't forgiven his brother for what he'd said. And now he was also worried for his brother's well being.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me, but I'm always here for you if you need me, okay?" Harry looked at his son with that compassionate father look he was so good at. "I'll let you go back if you promise we talk more about this with Christmas, okay?"

"Thank you dad, you're the best!" Albus hugged his dad before leaving to Hogwarts, his second home, again. He used the floo system and stumbled out in the Slytherin common room.

"What did you say?" The first sound that reached Albus' ears was the lovely voice of his best friend, Bridget, screaming at Davis.

"I said that guys are better at sports than girls." Davis showed no fear for the girl, and he was the only one who managed to stand up to her. And then be completely humiliated.

"Davis Kamiya! What would your mother say if she heard you?" Bridget always looked twice as tall when she used this tone of voice.

"Well, if she was smart she'd agree with me. Guys are better at physical stuff while girls are better at being emotional and shit."

"And still I manage to beat you at chess every time." Bridget and Davis were circling around the common room, never getting an inch closer to each other. The other Slytherins were careful not to get too close to either of them.

"You must not have heard me, I said guys were better at physical stuff. Chess is hardly physical." Davis almost ran into a careless first year.

"So you're saying you could easily beat me at something like, Quidditch?" The whole room let out a sigh of relief, this would mean a change of locations, so everyone else would be safe.

"Oh definitely."

"You're on. Let's go."

"Fine! I'll bet you I get to the pitch before you." Davis took off on a run, followed seconds later by Bridget.

"Thank god they're gone." Albus sat down next to Scorpius on their usual sofa. "Why does Davis always challenge her? He's just going to lose anyway."

"He's a fool." Scorpius was reading his letter again, for the millionth time. "I don't recognize the handwriting, do you?"

Albus grabbed the letter from Scorpius and pretended to analyze the handwriting. "It looks familiar, but I can't put my finger on it."

"Too bad. I'm really curious. Anyway, how is your brother?" I'm really impressed that he can focus on something other than the letter. He's so excited about it, I can see it in his eyes.

"He'll be the same ass he was before." I don't think the answer really registered in his mind, he was already back to examining the letter for any clues. "So, did you write your secret admirer back yet?"

"Yes. I left a letter for him last night and it was gone this morning." Scorpius eyed the door to the dorms impatiently.

"Waiting for a response from prince charming?" Albus said in a teasing tone.

"Very funny."

_Dear Scorpius,_

_So, you want a name. Fine. Call me Wolf. _

_Don't worry, I'm not a stalker. You're too cute to stalk. Besides, that Bridget would kill me if I stalked you. Yes I know about her. She's scary. Very scary. And yes, I fear her. I think that if I ever were to break your heart she'd break mine, literally._

_But, no Bridget can stop me from liking you. I'm just going to have to be careful._

_So, onto a more pleasant subject. You like old muggle movies? I've watched some too. My parents have a big collection and me and my siblings would sneak into their room and watch them all night long. You have no idea how many times we got into trouble for that. Or when we found a home video my parents made. That was … traumatizing. _

_So, that was my secret. My childhood trauma. Seeing a sex tape my parents made. So, you still want to write with me?_

_Wolf_

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 8 Inheritance

**AN: **Sorry this took me so long. This chapter just didn't want to work. I've had to rewrite it more times than I can count. And when I finally had something that looked at least half decent my laptop decided to delete it. Frustration levels rose to new highs. And then I got a new review, or more people started watching this story and I felt so guilty.

So, I'm sorry!

The evil plot is starting now, so I have to be careful. I'd like to read your theories on what's going to happen. So if anyone wants to share, please do!

**Chapter 8 Inheritance**

_Dear Wolf,_

_We've been writing letters for over a month now. Next week I won't be at Hogwarts, I'm going to my parents for Christmas break. Are you going home as well or are you staying at Hogwarts?_

_I guess we won't be able to write each other the next weeks. I'll miss our letters. Do you still want to hide your identity from me? I know I ask that at least once every week, and you always say yes, but I won't give up. I really want to know who you are. The you that I know from the letters is someone I might really love, but I won't be able to truly love you if I don't know who you are._

_You are in Slytherin, right? You told me you were, and I'm going to assume you weren't lying. Did you enjoy the Quidditch match? We beat Gryffindor! It was a close call but we made it! I'm so happy we beat them. Did you see the look on James Potter's face when he realized his little brother caught the snitch? Priceless._

_But I do hope James won't make life completely impossible for Albus when they're home. He's really dreading going home. He was really happy when I told him he was invited to a New Year's party over at my place. Dad said I could invite my friends. You're invited too, but I guess you'll decline._

_Scorpius_

The Slytherin common room was buzzing with activity. Word was that Davis was caught breaking into the headmistress' office. Normally this wouldn't cause such a ruckus, but after James went into the Forbidden Forest and several Hufflepuff boys sneaked into the girl's bathrooms rumors were flying all over the school. So many people sneaked into places they weren't supposed to be. And the most peculiar thing was that they all claimed they had no idea why they did.

The teachers didn't think much of it, but the students had a very lively imagination. There were many different theories, and there was one thing that most theories had in common, a teacher was behind all of this.

"I think Professor Channing is behind this." Bridget shared her theory. "There were more Hufflepuffs involved than people from other houses. He's the head of Hufflepuff house. He can get to them very easily."

"No, that'd be stupid." Scorpius said. "I think it's professor Longbottom. James was first and he's in Gryffindor."

"No, I know Professor Longbottom, he'd never do something like that." Albus defended him. "Maybe it's Professor Blackwater. She's head of Ravenclaw and no Ravenclaws have been involved yet. And she's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And those have been bad news a lot when my father went to Hogwarts."

"If we're going to follow stereotypes maybe it's Professor Thistlethwaite, he's head of Slytherin after all." Bridget said.

"No, I don't think he did it. He's creepy, especially around Al, but he wouldn't do something like this. He used to be an auror." The others agreed with Scorpius.

"It could still be nothing. Just some stupid prank." Albus voiced what the teachers had been saying all along.

"We could investigate." Bridget suggested, the two boys looked hopeful. This could be interesting. "Maybe the incidents have something in common."

"It could be interesting. Maybe there really is something or someone behind all this and we could be like heroes or something." Scorpius looked very excited. "What's the first step?"

"I think we should find something either the students or the places have in common."

"Okay, let's start!" Albus grabbed parchment and a feather and began writing down everything they said.

"So, let's sum this up." Albus began reading what was written on the paper. "The places the incidents took place were; the Forbidden Forest, McGonagall's office and several girl's bathrooms all over the castle.

"And the people involved were; James Potter, Davis Kamiya, Alexander Trite, Danny Johnson, Eric Hale and Thomas Smith.

"Hey, I just realized something. All the victims are guys. What if they also broke into the guy's bathrooms, but no one noticed?" Albus suddenly realized.

"That's a good idea. I think the next thing we need to do is question all the victims and see what they do remember. And we need to find out why someone or something wanted them there." Bridget took on a role as the leader of the group. The boys didn't dare try and take that position from her. "I'll question the guys, work my feminine charms on them and you two can go to the library and figure out everything there is to know about the bathrooms, the forbidden forest and McGonagall's office. Have fun, boys!" She left the common room before they could object.

"Great, library time. Why are we friends with her again?" Albus asked Scorpius before the boys left to the library, laughing.

Albus and Scorpius spend several hours in the library, but they didn't find what they were looking for. Not that they knew what they were looking for. That evening the three of them met again in the common room.

"We found nothing." Albus said as he sat down next to Bridget. "What about you?"

"They're all sticking to their stories. They don't know what happened." Bridget looked disappointed. "Maybe there really is nothing weird going on. Maybe they were just lying."

"We're not going to give up!" Scorpius cheered them on. Which was unusual for him, usually he wanted to keep out of trouble. "We have Harry Potter's son here. I've heard stories from my dad and I'm surprised nothing weird happened before this."

"Oh, just great. Just what I need. I not only look like my father, but now you're saying that danger will be following me around like it did to him? Just brilliant." Albus sank down in the couch. "I just want to be normal."

"It could still be nothing." Bridget tried to cheer up Albus.

"But we won't know that for sure unless we investigate some more." Scorpius said.

"Okay, we're going to continue. But only because I want to prove danger doesn't follow me around." Albus was determined to not lead the life his father did. He didn't want to be followed around by psychopaths who wanted to kill him 24/7.

"Yes!" Scorpius jumped up, excited. He received two confused stares from his friends. "I always wanted to solve a mystery." He explained sheepishly.

"Well, looks like your wish came true." Bridget said. "I think we should ask our parents if they know anything about those places. We're going home tomorrow anyway."

Albus sank down again, depressed. "I don't want to go home. James is going to make my life impossible. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione are coming over. So I'm going to be surrounded by Gryffindor's."

"But for New Year's you'll be coming to my place. It's all Slytherin there. Well, except for me." Scorpius joked.

"Yes. I can't wait."

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I think it's sweet how you're worrying about Albus. It proves you really care for him._

_I'm not ready to tell you who I am. I'm sorry. Maybe I'll gather the courage over the holidays. And who knows. Maybe I will show up for New Year's. Haha._

_I'm going to miss seeing you around these next two weeks. But I'll survive. I have all those pictures I took while stalking you to keep me entertained. Just kidding._

_I want to write more, but I really have to pack my stuff. So, see you in two weeks._

_Wolf._

**AN: Okay, it's kinds short, but it's something, right? I hope you liked it. I'll be looking forward to your reviews. (I'm almost at fifty!!!! I can't believe it. My goal is to reach 100 reviews.)**

**The person who posts the review number fifty can request a one-shot from me. If they want to. I'm so grateful for all the reviews. They always cheer me up.**

**See you again soon (hopefully).**


	11. Chapter 9 Christmas is alright for fi

**AN: **Why can't I just update? This chapter was just so annoying. I'll explain why. I'm a huge ThistlethwaiteXAlbus fan. I don't usually like to pair up Canon Characters with OCs, but this couple is the exception. And now David (Thistlethwaite) is almost screaming at me to make Al fall for him.

But, it's an AsS story, so I will not surrender to David.

Also, I now have a Livejournal, which I'll try to use to let you know how the story is moving along. Feel free to bother me when I'm taking too long to update again.

http : / / sutoribaimi . livejournal . com (remove spaces. But I think you guys are smart enough to figure that out)

I think I'll also post some DavidXAlbus oneshots on there, so if anyone is interested in that pairing, you know where to find it.

Also, congrats to Remmyblack for getting the 50th review. I'm working on your story, and I hope to complete it this week.

**Chapter 9 Christmas is alright for fighting**

The ride from King's Cross Station to home was one of the most uncomfortable rides ever in Albus' life. He and James sat on the backseat of their father's car with their sister placed between them. Every few minutes James would send a nasty look to his younger brother. Everyone in the car knew exactly what this was about, the latest Quidditch match.

James had been excited he could play Quidditch again after his stay in St. Mungo's, but then he had been defeated by his little brother.

In the front of the car Ginny and Harry shot each other looks, trying to get the other to break the uncomfortable silence. In the end it was Lily who broke it.

"You were really good in the Quidditch match, Al." She praised her older brother.

"Eh … Thanks." Albus was surprised. He knew his sister had excepted him being a Slytherin, but to actually compliment him when he'd robbed Gryffindor, her own house, from the victory was something he hadn't expected. And he wasn't the only one. Their parents looked shocked and James, well, he was being James.

"Yes, you were great. If only you were sorted into the right house." He snarled at Albus.

"James!" Ginny yelled. You could almost see James shrink at the tone. "There is no _right_ house. All houses at Hogwarts are equal." she scolded her oldest son. "And Albus, I'm proud of you. I wish I could have seen you play."

Suddenly the ride home was better than Albus ever could have guessed. He had been praised twice already for his flying skills. He found it hard to believe and expected to wake up at any moment to find out it had only been a cruel dream.

But all evidence pointed towards this being real, and no one could beat the good mood Albus was in away. Not even James' glares.

His good mood didn't get disturbed until he got company while unpacking.

"Al, can I come in?" Harry asked politely, even though the door was wide open.

"Okay." Albus knew what was coming. He'd dreaded this conversation. But he knew his father was stubborn and wouldn't let this go.

"We need to talk." He closed the door behind him and sat down on his son's bed.

Albus pulled up a chair and sat down in front of his father. He waited for the older man to begin.

"Al, I would like for you to tell me what James did." Harry used his most compassionate voice. He didn't want to scare his son. He wanted to help him, even if talking about what happened hurt him.

Albus tried to find something to focus on other than his father while talking to the man. His eyes fell on a poster of his favorite band, Mungo's Madness. "He hates me for being in Slytherin." He didn't dare look at his father.

"That's not true. He might not like that you're in Slytherin, but he doesn't hate you for it, Al. He's your brother."

"He told me, dad." Albus was trying to keep the tears away. It hurt so much to have his own brother hate him. Especially for something he had no control over.

"What?!" Harry couldn't believe this. He knew his sons didn't get along, but he had no idea it was this bad. "When did he say that?"

"At the Halloween party. I wore a mask and he didn't know it was me. I asked why they hated Slytherin so much. And he ..." Albus swallowed. He didn't want to cry in front of his father. He didn't want to seem weak in front of the man who's been through so much. Albus feared his father might think of him as weak. "He told me the story about the battle at Hogwarts that Uncle Ron always told us. And then he told me that I was a disgrace for being sorted into … into ..." he couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and the first tear of many rolled down his cheek. "Into the house that wanted you dead."

Harry rushed over to his son and crouched down in front of him. He laid his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked in his eyes. "Listen to me, Albus. You are not a disgrace! It doesn't matter what house you're sorted in, you're my son and I love you. Just ignore what your brother says and be proud of it. Okay?" He looked dead serious. Albus had never seen his father this serious before. The man always had a smile on his face, but there was no hint of a smile now. "And I'll let your mother talk to James. She has a better impact than I do." At the last part a small smile reappeared on his face. It was no secret that Ginny Potter was scarier than Harry, if not most human beings. It was a talent she'd inherited from her mother.

"It's just hard. I don't want him to hate me. He's my brother, and I love him. Why can't he just love me?" Albus just didn't know how to keep this up anymore. It was too difficult to keep up this mask, to make everyone believe he was doing okay.

"I'm sure he does love you, Al. He's just too stubborn to admit it." Neither really knew what to say after that. The uncomfortable silence that followed was broken when Harry left the room to talk to his wife.

Albus decided he'd start doing his homework. He started with his Transfiguration homework, Professor Thistlethwaite never gave much homework to his group, so he'd be able to finish it fast.

Albus and James avoided each other as much as possible after James was forced to apologize to his little brother. The days went by pretty uneventful, which was just the way Albus liked it. But Christmas was approaching fast, and on the day before Christmas Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione and their children came over. It was tradition in their family to spend Christmas together, and this year it was the Potter's turn to house the party. Albus knew that the next day his other relatives would come over, and the house would be very crowded. There was only one visit he was really looking forward to, his Aunt Luna. They weren't related by blood, but Albus still considered her his aunt. And she was the perfect aunt. She was just the right amount of crazy to make you laugh. She'd bring her husband and her newly born twins, Lorcan and Lysander. But other than that, Albus dreaded his family coming over more than anything.

Hugo stayed at James' room and Rose stayed with Lily. Ron and Hermione stayed in the guest bedroom. And Albus was allowed to stay in his own room, without a guest. This was the only positive thing about being the black sheep of the family, he almost never had to give up his room.

While his family was conversing happily, Albus sat in a corner with a book. He'd always done that, and he'd never been noticed. Today was no different. The adults were talking about Hermione's work at the ministry, and the kids were talking about Quidditch. Albus had no place in either of those conversations.

Dinner went by the same. After dinner Albus quietly made his way to his room to finish the last of his homework. He put the last hand at the essay Professor Channing had given them to write about the use of the Wolfsbane Potion when he noticed the time. Everyone else had gone to bed, but Albus wasn't tired yet. He wanted to read some more, but he'd left his book downstairs. He sneaked out of his room and went downstairs. To his surprise there was still a light burning in the living room. He heard voices, his parents, uncle Ron and aunt Hermione were still talking. He knew that he shouldn't eavesdrop, but the Weasley blood running through his veins told him to do it anyway. He was too far away to make out the words, and tiptoed closer to the door.

"... I wish Albus was in Gryffindor." He heard his father say.

The world stopped spinning then. For a second Albus didn't know what to do. The next second he was moving. He ran out the door, into the darkness. It didn't matter where he was going, as long as it was far away from his home.

**TBC**

OMG, I finished it! Finally. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be looking forward to your reviews. They always make me happy, and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to leave me a review.


	12. Chapter 10 That Professor, Helpful

Computer being a b*tch+me working on my original story=long time no update

Sorry for the cliffhanger! And the long wait.

Last chapter we ended with Albus running away after hearing his father say he wished Al was in Gryffindor. So, let's continue.

Oh, and please ignore the title. I'm currently obsessed with Kuroshitsuji.

**Chapter 10 That Professor, Helpful**

Albus didn't recognize anything around him. He knew he was still in Godric's Hollow, but he had no idea where exactly. It was night, but the light from the moon reflected off of the white snow covering everything so he had no trouble seeing. But in spite of that he couldn't find anything he recognized. He thought of retracing his steps, but he hadn't really been paying attention to where he was going, and the snow that kept falling prevented him from following the trail he'd left behind. It also made him extremely cold. If only he had his coat, or his wand. But that's what happens when you storm out of the house, you don't think rationally and forget to bring the essentials.

For lack of a better idea he turned around and tried to find his way back. Fifteen minutes later he was freezing cold, dead tired and still lost. He was considering ringing on some random door to ask directions, hoping he wouldn't piss off the inhabitants too much when he saw someone walking in his direction.

"Albus? Is that you?" The man quickened his steps. "What are you doing outside at this hour? And without a coat on as well. You look like you're freezing." The blonde man whipped out his wand and with a graceful flick made a warm winter coat out of thin air. "Put this on."

"Thank you, Professor." Albus wrapped himself in the warm coat.

"Why don't you come to my home to warm up a bit. Then you can tell me why you're outside at this hour without a coat." Professor Thistlethwaite smiled warmly at Albus. "This way, follow me."

Albus followed his professor without saying a word. He was just grateful he'd run into the man. He probably should've been paying attention to where he was going, but he was enjoying the new found warmth too much to think about anything else. Before he knew it he was inside a warm house. Thistlethwaite told Albus to sit on the sofa while he lit the fireplace. Thistlethwaite also got two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. The warm drink warmed Albus up from the inside.

"Are you ready to talk yet?" Thistlethwaite didn't sound angry or pushy. He sounded nice, calm, gentle and Albus felt safe.

"I heard my father say something that..." He didn't know what to say next. He didn't want his teacher to think he was weak, but he also wanted to tell the truth. He was hurt and felt lonelier than ever.

Thistlethwaite waited patiently for Albus to continue. He knew that the boy would speak when he was ready to. Pushing him would do no good at all.

"He said that he wished I was in Gryffindor." Albus couldn't control the tears anymore and he hated himself for it. He didn't want to feel this way. All he wanted was to be loved by his parents for who he was and that included what house he was in. He'd always felt like his father loved him no matter what, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. There were no words to describe the betrayal and hurt he felt at that moment.

"I'm sorry, Albus." Thistlethwaite's voice was as calm and gentle as it had been before. It was soothing. "But, are you sure that that's what he meant?"

"What do you mean?" Despite his own will Albus got a bit of hope again. Maybe his father did love him after all.

"Did you hear the entire conversation? Sometimes when you hear only one part of the conversation it can lead to wrong conclusions." Thistlethwaite said it in a way that sounded logical and not at all childish. And it made Albus think to what exactly he'd heard.

"I … I don't know. I didn't hear everything they were saying." He realized his own mistake then. He'd jumped to conclusions that were likely to be wrong.

"I know your father Albus, and I think that you may want to listen to him before you jump to conclusions. He's a good man, but he says some stupid things sometimes." Thistlethwaite had finished his chocolate and put the mug down. "How about I bring you back home and we go talk to your parents together. I'm sure that this was all just one big misunderstanding."

"Okay." Albus was starting to feel a bit ashamed. He knew in his heart that his father didn't care about houses, but he'd still jumped to those conclusions. All he wanted to do now was to get home, crawl up in his own bed and forget this ever happened. But Thistlethwaite was right. He had to talk about this to his parents. He needed to hear them say they loved him. And if Thistlethwaite was going with him he knew that if things went wrong there'd be someone to back him up.

"Good. Now get your coat, I'm sure your parents are worried sick."

Albus followed his professor. When they reached his house he saw that all the lights were on. That could mean only one thing, his parents were worried about him. That must mean that they did love him. Just this little thing made Albus warm inside.

Thistlethwaite knocked on the door which was opened by a panicking Harry. "David, have you s..." Then he noticed his son standing next to the blonde. "Albus! Thank God. Do you have any idea how worried your mother and I were? Where did you go? Why did you leave in the middle of the night?"

"Harry, maybe it's best if we go inside. There's something Albus wants to talk about to you and Ginny." Thistlethwaite kept his cool and managed to even calm down Harry.

"Yes. Come in. Gin's in the kitchen."

Albus and Thistlethwaite followed Harry into the kitchen where Ginny, Ron and Hermione were.

"Al! Oh honey, where were you? Are you okay?" Ginny pulled her son into a bone crushing hug.

"He's okay, Ginny. There was a slight misunderstanding and Albus got a bit upset." Thistlethwaite spoke for Albus. He was the only one in the room who was not overly emotional and him being there helped keep things from exploding.

"What misunderstanding?" Harry asked.

"Albus, do you want to tell them?" Thistlethwaite asked the boy.

Albus nodded.

Hermione noticed that she and her husband were not really needed here and tried to discreetly remove the oblivious man from the kitchen. A skill she'd perfected over the years.

"I … I came down to get something to drink and I overheard dad saying something."

"What was it?" Harry was trying to figure out what it possibly was that could've hurt his son this badly.

"You said..." Albus took a deep breath. "You said that you wished I was in Gryffindor."

For a few seconds it was completely silent in the small kitchen. The tension was thick in the air. Then Harry let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"I told your mother what James told me when we spoke earlier today, Albus. I don't wish for that. I love you and I love the fact that you're in Slytherin. You're my son and no matter what you do I will always love you."

Albus had heard his father say that many times already, but he never got tired of hearing it. It really helped him. He felt so insecure a lot of the time because of his brother that it was nice to hear his father say that to him.

"See, it was all a big misunderstanding." Thistlethwaite said. "Now, it's late and Albus is looking really tired, so I think I should go."

"Eh.. yes. Thank you for everything. I'll let you out." Harry had forgotten the other man in the room for a moment.

"You don't have to thank me. It is only natural for a professor to be able to help their students in their time of need." Thistlethwaite followed Harry out of the kitchen.

"Albus, we were so worried. Please don't run away again, okay?" Ginny gently guided her son up to his bedroom.

Albus didn't hear half of what his mother was saying. He was tired and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

**TBC**

Now I'm going to pack the last of my stuff because I'm going to Disneyland Paris in a few hours. I'm looking forward to reading your reviews when I get back.

Next chapter: Christmas! And Luna's going to come! I love her and I hope I can do her justice.

EDIT: There's now a poll for this story in my profile. The results will influence this story! Please vote!


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